Backing up your website
Making regular backups of your website will help prevent data loss in the event your website's server fails. By archiving your backups you will also be able to access code, files and webpage content from earlier versions of your website.
If you develop a HTML website on a stand-alone computer, and then upload changes to a Web server, backing up your work will usually be as simple as copying the website's files to CD or DVD directly.
More complex websites, however, may also require databases to be backed up and files that are generated and updated by the server to be downloaded.
You should always maintain your own website backups, even if your Web hosting provider offers a backup service. Backups made by some hosting providers are only conducted every few days, and there is often a cost involved for restoring a website to a previous version.
Here are some tips for backing up your website:
- As part of your regular backup routine, use a combination of different storage media (for example, external hard drives, network drives, CDs/DVDs, flash drives, online backup services) from different manufacturers. This will help spread the risk if one brand of storage media should ever develop a defect that is not yet known.
- In addition to your website's actual files, remember to also backup databases, configuration settings, usernames, and mailbox setups from your Web server.
- If permitted, create backups of the installation files and registration codes for the software you use to edit your website. If you use Multimedia Australia software to create your website, such as the BestAddress HTML Editor or Aurora Web Editor, we permit you to make an unlimited number of backups.
- Create backups of your website's source files such as image editing files, stock photographs etc.
- Store backups in different geographic locations to prevent loss from disasters such as fire.
- Record the settings stored on your computer for accessing the Internet, downloading email etc.
- Write down the contact details of your Web host, domain name registration provider etc. If you host your website with Multimedia Australia, or use any of our products and services, you can easily contact us from our dedicated www.SupportBase.NET website.
- If you own multiple domain names, keep a record of expiry dates, Web hosts, domain name registrars etc.
- Keep archives of your backups. Don't over-write one backup with another or throw away old backup disks. Keeping archived copies for longer periods of time helps you return your website to an earlier state if necessary in the future.
More tips are available in the article titled 'Creating a website backup and restore plan'.
Related articles
- Creating a website backup and restore plan
- Tips for choosing secure passwords
- Protecting your website's content from unauthorised copying
